Airship



Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

uNiT/ED ismfritffs H,lmifleziai oFFlCfE-i THOMAS R. OF NEWARK-','NW

\ Mesnil?.

Application 'l'ed September To alla() /wm t may concern -MECHEN, Va citizen oft-he United -,\States, and residentof Neiva-rk., -in the county yof Essex and State' of New'j Je-rsey,-`have invented certain :new andfusef'ul Inrprovenieiits'i'n Airships, of which the following -is a Specifi- Cltfin. i J i This invention relates to a-irships' and my 'improvements are -directed'teward :the production of asnovel form of hul-l structure which combines vthe qualit-iesv of i homogeneity,- vgreat strength, and relatively light Weight. 1liV struction of rigid dirigibles has comprehended the employment of a frame *tom-A posed of either metallicor wooden longe- ;rons, with transversey members or Vgi'rdefrs of the same materiaL'said frame being Vcovered with 'an envelope offleXible material, and

v a number :of gas ,containing ballon'ettesy have been placed 'Within the' frame for buoyantmlift.'v y v A rl-hns thesleleton or frame only ofthe sov vcalled rigid'dirigible, as known, has been of rigid character, andthe constituentelements Y ofthe skeleton have necessari-ly been of such lsubstantial dimensions, to satisfy the r-e Y l Y, quirements for `ample strength, as to cause excessive to a degree that diminishesfthe vamount of lifting capacity for load; and' cargo.

of-gas content rapidlyinereases inlarger sizes of airships, there 1s an' increasingly 40 and cargo; and this progressive increase of lift, as calculation proves,` may continue indefinitely' at' the same ratio even tothe point when eventually the airshipA reaches a' size whereby-its empty weight would becc'mieA practically-l nothin'g ,butgforhthe fact that before this point is "attained, the `increasing` surplus of :lift permits 'itfto frbe vutilized to float a mor'esubstantial hull bu-iltup of r solidly oined Walls lapproXimately the Vhulls 5 of ocean ships.

vvelopi'nent of the yart pertaining te airships, of attaining thehighest 'possible degree of VHitherto, the general-,practice the conthe Weight of thefabrieatedstructure, inj cluding the envelope and ballonetteg to' be It is a fundamentaljfaet that as the volume f greater proportion of lift available for fuel f Mya-,own Y experiments "and calculations haveV showny the prime necessity, in the/de-l 3,1921. "serial No. l498;'264.

structu-r'alihomogeneitythat the hull may 'be incapable of distortion by the .pressures encountered under higlippropulsive power( and yby -expansion,and I lhavetherefore devised `an integral hull, off uniform, homogeneous texture throughout, and wherein the stresses and strains to which the air-.ship .is 'subjected' in servicek are distributed'. 'Within and absorbed by the entire hull structure. n Broadl-y my invention consists in the for- .mationof an ail-ship Vhull entirely of fply- Wood, spiralled .parallel strips or plies,l iii edge abuttin a or scarfedrelationship, "being formed into ull contour, successive super- .posed plies suitablyv secured together', in the 'falorication,` respectively, having opposite spiral direction.y f A v yThe @plies or laminae e are multiplied 'suiiiciently for the. production of a hull-of adequate strength, and may include an intermediate layer o'fzgas containing material, suoli as rubberized fabric.

- My invention also, optionally compre' hends the provision of an outer shell, of less 'Wall thickness, composed ofspiral plies similar to; those used in theliull formation,

and spaced from the'main, gas'holdiiig shell or hull. e

Said "gas shell 'or 'chamber is divided by bulkheads', composed of diaphragms, into Va number of llongitudinal" compartments` which 'thus take the place .of-the usual ball nalbracng has its securing means in therespectve regiens of said beams.

'In an airship much of the' construction material hitherto used, such as metallic or Woodenlongerons, can dispensed with, since a very material'part of the stresses borne by such longeronsor `gilders'is inthe case Vof my invention, vcompensated for in the .Walls ofl Solid hull, said Walls having a lighter Weig t than an airship Witha skeleten frame l`as hitherto constructed.v

Other features and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved airship.

Figure 2 is a cross-section thereof.

Figure 3 is a detail end view.

Figure l is a detail of the mortised joint, and

Figure 5 is a detail of the scarfed jouit.

In the construction of my improved rigid dirigible airship I provide a hull or gas holding shell 1 composed of strips 2 and 3 which are respectively arranged in opposite spirals, in the manner of cross-wise laminae. The strips 2 are in parallelism witheach other, and have their side edges, as to adjacent strips, in closely connected and secured relation, as with glue, cement or the like, and may have morticed or scarfed joints; and the same is true of the strips 3.

An example of a morticed joint for the strips 2 and 3 is shown in detail in Figure (i, and an example of a scarfed oint is shown in 'detail in Figure 5. Y

Each strip 2 and 3 may consists of plywood or may be a single layer of wood.

Vhen the strips 2 and 3 are of plywood' the sectional lengths thereof, which must be utilized in the production of an airship hull, have an end projecting ply or plies to interfit with the end projecting ply or plies of an abutting section, to effect a laminated joint therewith. But when the strips 2 and 3 are composed each of a single layer of wood, then the abutting ends of adjacent lengthwise sections are united with morticed or scarfed joints.

Superpose'd layers of strips 2 and 3 alternate in their spiralized directions, and are multiplied according to the thickness of said strips, for the purpose of building up a wall of suitable rigidity and strength, to thereby constitute an airship hull. Said shell or hull 1, to be gas containing, may have a layer of rubberized fabric, goldbeaters skin or other suitable material, as 4, interposed between adjacent plies formed by the strips 2 and 3, or the shell may be coated on one or both of its surfaces with a suitable fiuid composition which is impermeable by gas.

The strips 2 and 3 taper in their width toward the respective ends of the hull, to thereby permit the production of the end portions in their forms of diminishing transverse area.

An outer shell 5 which may be constructed around shell 1, also composed of oppositely spiralled strips 6 and 7 may correspond with the described fabrication of shell 1 from strips 2 and 3: except that the shell 5 is not required to have the same degree of structural strength as shell or hull 1.

Therefore the thickness of wall for the outer shell 5 is considerably less than that of the inner shell or hull 1.

Goncentric rings 8, which mav be composed of plywood, are disposed suitable distances apart throughout the length of the airship, interiorly of shell 1, to constitute transverse reinforcing means.

Bullheads, or transverse partitions 9, here shown, composed of fabric, and including means whereby they are rendered non-permeable by gas, are located suitable distances apart, longitudinally, within the shell 1, to provide gas containing compartments, talring the place of ballonettes usually employed with rigid dirigibles. These bulkheads however, besides dividing up the shell 1 into gas containing compartments, are provided with tensional means 11, radiating from the longitudinal axis of the airship, to serve the useful purpose of bracing the shell 5; the rings 8 being disposed in the same transverse plane as said bulkheads, so that the bracing eiect of the tensional means and ringsris unified to constitute an integrated transverse girder for the entire hull structure.

In the example shown, centered rings 12 serve as connecting means for tension wires 11 that radiate from said rings in the transverse plane of the bulkheads 9. 'Ihese tension wires 13 may be pocketed within the bulkheads, and the latter may be composed of triangular shaped sections, sewn together, to thereby form the pockets between the overlapping portions of, adjacent sections.

'Ihe rings 8 are each provided with an annular groove 141 at their inner surfaces, to contain a metallic hoop 15, which serves as an anchorage for the outer ends of the tension wires 13; and bolts 16, passed through radial apertures 17 provided in the rings v8 and shell 1, have terminal eyes 18 that engage said hoop 15. Spacer blocks 19 are provided at suitable distances apart between the shells 1 and 5, to maintain their true concentric relation.

Variations within the spirit and scope of my invention are equally comprehended by the foregoing disclosure.

I claim l 1. A dirigible hull composed entirely of a number of layers of spiralled ply-wood strips, with only lateral reinforcing means, the strips of succeeding layers being spiralled loppositely, adjacent strips of each layer having scarfed edge relation. i

l2. A dirigible hull structure that is inherently capable of absorbing all longitudinal stresses consisting entirely of a number of layers of spiralledply-wood strips, with only lateral reinforcing means, the strips of succeeding layers being spiralled oppositely,V adjacent strips of each layer having scarfed edge relation. v i. Y

3. A dirigible hull structure that is inherently capable of absorbing all longitudinal stresse-s, consisting entirely of a number of layers of spiralled ply-Wood strips, the strips of succeeding layers being spiralled oppositely, adjacent strips of each layer having scarfed edge relation, and inrings to serve as peripheral stiffening means,

and bulkheads lying in the transverse plane of the rings.

5. A dirigible hull structure that is inherently capa-ble of absorbing all longitudinal stresses and some of the transverse stresses consisting entirely of a number of layers of spiralled ply-Wood strips, the strips of succeeding layers being spiralled oppositely, adjacent strips of each layer having scarfed edge relation, and internal rings to serve as peripheral stifening means.

6. A dirigible hull struct-ure that is inherently capable of absorbing all longitudinal stresses and some of the transverseV stresses consisting -entirely of a number of layers of spiralled ply-Wood strips,fthe strips of succeeding layers being spiralled oppo sitely, adjacent. stripsof each layer having scarfed edge relation, internal rings to serve as peripheral stiening means, and bulkheads lying in the transverse plane of the rings. n

7 A dirigible hull structure that is inherently capable of absorbing all longitudinal stresses consisting entirely of a number of layers of spiralled ply-Wood strips, the strips of succeeding layers being spiralled oppositely, adjacent strips of each layer having scarfed edge relation, internal rings to serve as peripheral.stifl'ening mea-ns, bulkheads lying in the transverse plane of the rings, and radial tension members engaging the rings to serve as suspension means and to stiffen the bulkheads.

8. A dirigible comprising a hull structure composed entirely of a number of layers of spiralled ply-Wood strips, the strips of succeeding layers being spiralled oppositely, and an outer shell of similar material and structure, spacedv from the hull.

9. A dirigible comprising a hull structure composed entirely of a number of layers of spiralled ply-Wood strips, the strips of succeeding layers being spiralled oppositely, an outer shell of similar material and structure, spaced from the hull, and intermediate connecting means to maintain the spaced relation of the hull structure andv outer shell. i

Signed at the borough of Manhattan in the city, county, and State of New York this 18th day of July, A. D. 1921*.

THOMAS R. MACMECHEN. 

